The NSW Electoral Commission
We conduct, regulate, and report on state general elections and by-elections for the Parliament of New South Wales. We administer a statutory public funding scheme for eligible state election participants and maintain the Register of Third-Party Lobbyists.
We also provide electoral services to local councils and to a range of government, public and commercial organisations, including registered clubs, statutory boards, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and state-registered industrial organisations, each with their own legal and customer service requirements.
The NSW Electoral Commission may also undertake research and deliver public education and information programs about electoral matters. Our officers also support the Electoral Districts Redistribution Panel perform its functions where electoral boundaries require adjustment under the NSW Constitution.
Yes. The NSW Electoral Commission cannot be directed by the Executive Government (Ministers) in the exercise of our functions. The Redistribution Panel is established with the same powers as a royal commission.
The NSW Electoral Commission may be able to respond to requests from stakeholders (including from media) for information about our functions and processes, as experts on democratic processes in NSW. To support our political neutrality, however, and maintain trust in the integrity of NSW elections, we may determine is it not appropriate to make some public statements while election events are underway or about specific cases.
The NSW Electoral Commission is also subject to strict legislative confidentiality obligations, consistent with the sensitive nature of our work. We provide guidance on making formal and informal information access applications and locating our policy documents, see Access to information.
The NSW Electoral Commission administers electoral and lobbying legislation as it has been passed by the NSW Parliament or made by the Executive Government in regulations. The NSW Electoral Commission does not make these laws and, to support confidence in our impartiality, generally will not comment on any policy positions we seek to implement. An exception is where the NSW Electoral Commission has identified a specific adverse operational impact that it is in the public interest to bring to the attention of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters or otherwise report on to the NSW Parliament, if required or authorised by legislation.
Unless specifically authorised by law to do so, the NSW Electoral Commission does not provide comment in response to queries about particular compliance matters or confirm whether or not a matter will be, is being or was investigated. Allegations reported to the NSW Electoral Commission are dealt with in accordance with our Compliance and Enforcement Policy. Public comments on our law enforcement activities are subject to our Compliance and Enforcement Publication Policy. Further information about these enforcement functions is available on our Integrity hub.
Statistical information about the NSW Electoral Commission’s enforcement activities, and information about matters prosecuted in court, is also published annually and tabled in the NSW Parliament. Before 2021 this was published in our Annual reports and from 2021 it is also published separately in a standalone report to Parliament.